1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the general field of culinary implements. More specifically, the present invention is concerned with a multi-purpose culinary implement and its related apparatus and systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
There exist many culinary implements for grating or cutting food. Typically, each implement is directed to a single use. For example, a grater can only be used for grating food, and not for cutting or other purposes.
Accordingly, a user typically needs to buy many devices to perform the many tasks required for preparing various dishes. Therefore, the cost of having a well-equipped kitchen is rather high. Also, storage of these many culinary implements requires a relatively large amount of space.
There exist a few culinary implements, known as mandolins that can serve many purposes. For example, one such implement includes a primary blade for cutting a slice of food and can accept a secondary blade for cutting the food in a direction perpendicular to the direction into which the food is cut by the primary blade. Accordingly, such a mandolin can cut sticks of food.
However, currently available mandolins have many drawbacks. For example, such mandolins include a handle for holding the mandolin while cutting is performed. Typically, the handle is fixed with respect to the mandolin and therefore does not provide an optimal ergonomic means for holding the mandolin.
Also, such mandolins are either provided with custom receptacle on top of which they can be attached or are provided with generic notches that can engage the rims of a receptacle already owned by the user. In both cases, it is impossible for a user to use the mandolin with a wide range of receptacles as the notches provided within the mandolin typically can only engage with stability rims having a very narrow range of width.
Some mandolins have replaceable primary and secondary blades. If a user wishes to modify a thickness of slices of food products while cutting with the mandolin, an insert has to be changed. Typically, such inserts are rather large and can therefore only provide a limited number of thicknesses, thereby limiting the different thicknesses into which the food can be cut.
Generally, culinary implements such as slicers or graters need to be located within a container or on a working surface, such as a cutting board, so that the food processed by the implement falls into the container or on the working surface. However, a user typically exerts considerable force upon the implement when processing food. Therefore, the implement has a strong tendency to move within the container or on the working surface.
To counter such movements, the user often presses on the implement such that the friction between the container or the working surface and the implement is relatively large. Alternatively, the user holds the implement tightly to reduce movements of the implement with respect to the container or the working surface. In both cases, a force is exerted with great effort from the user and can lead to unexpected and sudden slippage of the implement within the receptacle or on the working surface if a contact force between the food and the implement varies suddenly. Such slippage often results in an abrupt movement of the implement causing food, the working surface or the receptacle to fall on the floor.
There also exist devices for cutting potatoes, eggs, and garlic and for cracking nuts. However, typically, each of these devices serves only one purpose. Therefore, once again, a user needs to buy a plurality of devices to perform all the tasks.
Also, many implements for cutting potatoes or eggs are simply blades mounted on a piston, which can be received in a sleeve, the piston being activated by a user pushing thereon.
Therefore, the force required to cut food with such devices is relatively great. Accordingly, there exists a need in the industry for an improved multi-purpose culinary implement.
The present description refers to a number of documents, the content of which is herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.